E70 - “Authentic”

Dec 19

As we slide down into the final hours of 2023, Elizabeth Howard, host and producer of the Short Fuse, and Alex Waters, technical editor of the Short Fuse, reflect on the year in an informal conversation at the Dell'Aria Cafe in East Harlem. They share a few of the moments from the conversations that seem particularly meaningful and "authentic" - the Merriam-Webster word of the year, in a year filled with "disruptions" - Elizabeth's word of the year. And the color of 2023: Pantone Viva Magenta.

Elizabeth Howard began hosting and producing the Short Fuse during the pandemic years. Those days when we were shuttered in our rooms. Displaced. Disoriented. Since then we have produced 33 conversations, created a YouTube channel for online Short Fuse reading groups, and held live events at P&T Knitwear in New York, the Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge, and at the Portsmouth Athenaeum in New Hampshire. You can find all of our conversations on the Short Fuse website.

Dell'Aria Cafe is on East 111th Street in East Harlem. An authentic cafe for the best roasted Italian coffee ... and conversation.

Jasmine Rice LaBeija is a Drag Queen, who can often be found performing in New York City.

Rev. Michael Curry is the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States. He spoke at the memorial held for Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City.

Ann Kjellberg is the founder of Book Post a

Bill Marx is the founder and Editor of the Arts Fuse, the online journal of arts commentary and criticism.

Kyle Dacuyan is a poet and the director of the Poetry Project at St. Mark's Church in the Bowery.

Valena Beety is the author of Manifesting Justice and works with Tasha Shelby.

The Short Fuse Podcast hosted and produced by Elizabeth Howard, are conversations with artists, writers, musicians, and others who have a lens on contemporary thought and stir us to seek change. With their art, their music, their performances, and their vision they lead us through the social and environmental transformations sweeping across the globe.

“Artists are here to disturb the peace.” James Baldwin.

The Short Fuse is distributed through the Arts Fuse, a journal of arts criticism and commentary.

Alex Waters is the technical producer, audio editor and engineer for the Short Fuse Podcast. He is a music producer and a student at Berklee College of Music. He has written and produced music and edited for podcasts including The Faith and Chai Podcast and Con Confianza. He writes, produces and records music for independent artists, including The Living. He lives in Brooklyn can can be reached at alexwatersmusic12@gmail.com with inquiries.